Fasteners, railing system and method of assembly

ABSTRACT

A fastener is configured to affix a first article such as a picket to a second article such as a rail to form a railing or balustrade. The fastener includes a first engaging surface having a maximum diameter configured to engage an interior surface of an opening in the first article and a mating surface configured to mate with the second article. The first engaging surface can have shape selected from cylindrical, ellipsoidal, conical, elliptic conical frustum, pyramidal frustum, and ball and other shapes having cross-sections of rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal and other regular polygons having at least four sides such that good engagement is obtained and the fastener is hidden from view in the assembled railing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/278,510, filed Apr. 3, 2006, which is adivisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/613,605,filed Jul. 3, 2003, which claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 60/393,125, filed on Jul. 3, 2002, all of which arecommonly assigned with the present application and incorporated hereinby reference in their entirety for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention is related to fasteners and methods used to assemble arailing, balustrade or fence. More specifically, the invention isconcerned with a fastener that can be affixed to opposing ends of apicket or baluster in order to attach the picket to a pair of rails forassembly of a picket fence or balustrade.

BACKGROUND

Picket fences are in widespread use to demarcate property lines and toenclose specific spaces within a property such as a patio, backyarddeck, pool, and the like. Such fences incorporate a variety of designsbut generally consist of a sequence of vertically aligned, elongatebalustrades or pickets that are fastened perpendicularly to horizontalsupport members or rails with intervening spaces between any twopickets. An early version of the picket fence was comprised of flatrectangular pickets with pointed top ends attached to one side of upperand lower horizontal support members so that the pointed ends of thepickets were exposed and disposed above the upper horizontal member.This design and construction technique presented not only a pleasing,aesthetic appearance but also provided a functional characteristic asthe top pointed ends of the pickets discouraged climbing over the fence.

Another type of picket fence is comprised of elongate, rectangularpickets or balustrades that are attached at opposing ends thereof toupper and lower fence rails. With this type of fence, the upper fencerail is located over the top end of the pickets and functions as theuppermost surface or portion of the fence. The pickets are attached tothe fence rails by various methods and devices. For instance, the endsof the pickets can be configured into a particular shape or design thatis received into cooperating apertures or bores located in the fencerails, such as screw threads formed onto the ends of the pickets andaround cooperating bores of the fence rails so that the pickets can bescrewed into said fence rails. However, such method of attachmentprovides an inadequate means of affixing pickets to fence rails if thefence components are manufactured of certain materials that have limitedload-bearing capabilities such as plastic or vinyl.

The pickets can also be attached by fasteners such as nails or screws tothe fence rails with said means of attachment strengthened as needed bythe use of brackets and the like. This method of attachment presentsless than a satisfactory appearance as nails and screws may be visibleif not properly countersunk and if any brackets are not seated within adepression so that said fasteners and brackets are flush with thesurface of the pickets and fence rails.

What is needed then is the provision of a fastening means and a methodof assembling picket fences that overcomes the aforementioneddisadvantages of assembling picket fences. The subject of the instantinvention presents a variety of fasteners that can be used for attachingpickets to upper and lower fence rails and a method for such assembly inorder that a picket fence that is stable and secure can be erected usinga variety of fence construction materials while also providing the fencewith a pleasing and aesthetic appearance. Such fastening means iscomprised of fasteners that are inserted at a first portion or endthereof into opposing ends of a picket and inserted at a second portionor end thereof into adjacent fence rails.

Numerous designs for assembling picket fences have been provided in theprior art. Even though these designs may be suitable for the specificindividual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitablefor the purposes of an aspect of the invention. Such designs areexemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,275, Railing Construction, issued toFaber et al. on 22 Mar. 1983; U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,948, Picket Fence,issued to Lustvee on 2 Dec. 1986; U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,005, PicketAttachment, issued to Zen on 6 Nov. 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,820,Wedge-Adjustable Base For Rail Posts and The Like, issued to Katz on 9Jul. 1991; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,548, Modular Metal Fencing AndGratings Employing Novel Fastening Means For Reduction Of Assembly Time,issued to Moore on 3 Oct. 1995.

As such, it may be appreciated that there is a continuing need for a newand improved fastening means and method of assembling picket fences thatis comprised of fasteners that are inserted into or otherwise attachedat a first portion or end thereof to opposing ends of a picket andinserted at a second portion or end thereof into adjacent fence rails sothat a picket fence of various materials such as wood, metal, vinyl, andthe like can be assembled quickly and efficiently and with a pleasingand aesthetic appearance. These aspects of the invention substantiallydeparts from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, andin so doing provides an apparatus that substantially fulfills this need.Additionally, the prior and commercial techniques do not suggest thepresent inventive combination of component elements arranged andconfigured as disclosed herein.

BRIEF SUMMARY

An aspect of the invention, which will be described in greater detailhereinafter, relates to the field of fasteners and methods used toassemble fences. More specifically, this version of the invention isconcerned with a fastener that can be affixed to opposing ends of apicket in order to attach said picket to adjacent fence rails forassembly of a picket fence.

According to an aspect of the invention, a fastener is provided to affixa first article such as a picket to a second article such as a rail toform a railing or balustrade. The fastener includes a first engagingsurface having a maximum diameter adapted to engage an interior surfaceof an opening in the first article and a mating surface adapted to matewith the second article. The first engaging surface can have shapeselected from cylindrical, ellipsoidal, conical, elliptic conicalfrustum, pyramidal frustum, and ball and other shapes havingcross-sections of rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal andother regular polygons having at least four sides such that goodengagement is obtained and the fastener is hidden from view in theassembled railing.

According to an aspect of the invention, a fastener is provided foraffixing pickets to fence rails in order to construct a picket fence,the fastener including a cylindrical member and a rectangular member.The cylindrical member and rectangular member are connected atcooperating ends with the cylindrical member and rectangular memberpresenting opposing, exposed ends. Screw threads are located around theexterior of the cylindrical member, and a series of ridges or protrusionare located on sidewalls of the rectangular member. In a firstalternative embodiment of the fastener, the cylindrical member isprovided without screw threads. In a second alternate embodiment, thefastener is comprised of a conical member with screw threads surroundingthe exterior thereof and a rectangular member connected to a wider endof the conical member. In a third alternative embodiment, the fasteneris comprised of a conical member with surrounding screw threads and ahexagonal member connected to a wider end of the conical member.

According to another aspect of the invention, a picket fence isassembled by inserting the rectangular or hexagonal member of a fastenerinto a bore formed into each end of a picket so that the ridges thereoffrictionally engage the sidewalls of said bore and then inserting thecylindrical or conical member of the fasteners, which extend beyond thepickets, into cooperating bores of the fence rails. The pickets can beanchored to the fence rails by rotating said pickets so that the screwthreads of the cylindrical or conical member engage the surroundingsidewall of cooperating bores in the fence rails.

If necessary, the spacing of the pickets between the fence rails can befacilitated by use of a measuring guide releasably attached to the sideof a container for storage and transport of the pickets. The measuringguide is comprised of two sidewalls that are perpendicularly attachedwith a series of apertures located in a sidewall thereof. The sidewallwith said apertures located therein can be placed over two fence railsso that bores can be drilled into the fence rails using said aperturesas a guide.

Using the fasteners and the method described above, a picket fence thatis stable and well constructed can be assembled quickly and efficiently.Fasteners are fabricated from exemplary materials including plastics,nylon, polyvinyl chloride, and other deformable materials including butnot limited to synthetic rubber and polyurethane, or alternatively,nondeformable materials such as metals including, but not limited toaluminum, zinc, galvanized steel and stainless steel. The pickets andfence rails can be comprised of a variety of materials, such as wood,plastic, vinyl, various metals and the like.

According to another aspect of the invention, a fastening means andmethod for assembling picket fence is provided in which a fastenerincludes a cylindrical or conical member and a rectangular or hexagonalmember connected thereto. Screw threads or ridges surround the exteriorof the cylindrical or conical member and ridges surround the rectangularor hexagonal member; and a plurality of pickets with bores formed intoopposing ends thereof for receipt of individual fasteners.

According to another aspect of the invention a fastening means andmethod is provided for assembling picket fence through use of fastenersthat releasably attach pickets to upper and lower fence rails so that apicket fence that is stable and secure can be erected quickly andefficiently with a minimum amount of tools and expenditure of time andeffort.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a fastener forassembling picket fence in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a first embodiment of a fastener forassembling picket fence in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the fastener of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a fastener forassembling picket fence in accordance with an aspect of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of fasteners alignedfor insertion into bores located at opposing ends of a picket and intocooperating bores off adjacent fence rails.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a fastenersinserted into bores located at opposing ends of a picket and aligned forinsertion into cooperating bores of adjacent fence rails.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view of a picket attached atopposing ends to adjacent fence rails, said attachment provided by afirst embodiment of fasteners inserted into bores located at opposedends of said picket and into communicating bores of adjacent fencerails.

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of a first embodiment of a seriesfasteners aligned for attachment to opposing ends of pickets andadjacent fence rails.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a fastener alignedfor insertion into a cooperating bore of a picket and attachment to anadjacent fence rail.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a fasteneraligned for insertion into a cooperating bore of a picket and attachmentto an adjacent fence rail.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a fastener havinga cylindrical member for insertion into openings of both a picket and arail.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of a fastener havinga cylindrical member for insertion into openings of both a picket and arail.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a seventh embodiment of a fastenerhaving an elliptic conical frustum shape for insertion into openings ofboth a picket and a rail.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an alternative form of a seventhembodiment of a fastener having an elliptic pyramidal frustum shape forinsertion into openings of both a picket and a rail.

FIGS. 15-18F and 21 are views illustrating an eighth embodiment of afastener having a ball shape for insertion into an opening of at leastone of a picket or rail.

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary perspective view of a storage and transportcontainer of pickets illustrating a plurality of pickets stored thereinand a hole measuring guide located at an exterior corner of saidcontainer.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a hole measuring guide positioned overtwo fence rails in order to provide the location at which bores can bedrilled for insertion of fasteners therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings and, in particular, to FIG. 1 through FIG.3 wherein there are illustrated a first embodiment of a fastener 10 forassembling a picket fence. The fastener 10 is a one-piece, unitarydevice that is comprised of a cylindrical member 12 and a rectangularmember 14. The cylindrical member 12 consists of a first end 16 that isconnected to the rectangular member 14 and an opposed second end 18.Screw threads 20 surround the cylindrical member 12. Desirably,fasteners 10 are fabricated of two types: fasteners 10 having screwthreads 20 which fasten in a clockwise direction, and fasteners 10having screw threads 20 which fasten in a counterclockwise direction.The rectangular member is comprised of a first end 22 that is connectedto the cylindrical member 12 and a second opposed end 24. A series ofparallel ridges 26 is located on the four sidewalls of the rectangularmember 14. The rectangular member 14 is desirably sized to fit anopening of a readily available picket 44 (FIG. 5) without requiring thepicket 44 to be specially manufactured.

Referring to FIG. 4, therein illustrated is a second embodiment of thefastener 28. The fastener 28 is comprised of a cylindrical member 30 anda rectangular member 32, said cylindrical member 30 consisting of afirst end 34 connected to the rectangular member 32 and a second opposedend 36. The rectangular member 32 is comprised of a first end 38 that isconnected to the cylindrical member 30 and a second opposed end 40.Parallel ridges 42 are located on the four sidewalls of the rectangularmember 32.

The fasteners 10, 28 are comprised of material that is lightweight anddurable. Exemplary materials include plastics, nylon, polyvinylchloride, and other deformable materials including but not limited tosynthetic rubber and polyurethane and nondeformable materials such asmetals including, but not limited to aluminum, zinc, galvanized steel,carbon steel and stainless steel.

As displayed in FIG. 5 a picket fence is being assembled with anelongate, rectangular picket 44 having rectangular bores 46 located atopposing ends thereof. The picket 44 is disposed between upper and lowerfence rails 48. Bores 50 are located on facing sides of the fence rails48. The picket 44 is disposed in perpendicular relation to the fencerails 48 with the bores 46 of the picket 44 in alignment withcooperating bores 50 of the fence rails 48. A first fastener 10 islocated between the top end of the picket 44 and an upper fence rail 48,and a second fastener 10 is located between the bottom end of the picket44 and a lower fence rail 48. The cylindrical member 12 of each fastener10 is disposed toward a cooperating, cylindrical bore 50 of a fence rail48, and the rectangular member 14 of each fastener 10 is disposed towarda cooperating, rectangular bore 46 of the picket 44.

Referring to FIG. 6, the fasteners 10 are attached to the picket 44 bymeans of the rectangular members 14 of the fasteners 10 inserted intothe rectangular bores 46 located at opposing ends of the picket 10. Theridges 26 of the rectangular member 14 frictionally engage thecommunicating sidewalls surrounding the bores 46 so that the fasteners10 are securely anchored within the bores 46 to the picket 44.Desirably, fasteners 10 having clockwise-fastening screw threads 20 areinserted into first bores 46 of pickets 44 and fasteners 10 havingcounterclockwise-fastening screw threads 20 are inserted into secondbores 46 of pickets 44 on opposite ends of the pickets 44. In suchmanner, the picket 44 with the fasteners 10 secured thereto can beattached to the fence rails 48 by inserting the exposed cylindricalmembers 12 of the fasteners into cooperating cylindrical bores 50 of thefence rails 48 and rotating the picket 44 so that the screw threads 20of the cylindrical members 12 engage the sidewalls of the bores 50 asillustrated in FIG. 7. Preparing the picket 44 by inserting fasteners 10of clockwise and counterclockwise fastening types in respective oppositeends thereof assures that the fasteners 10 engage the upper rail andlower rail at the same time by the same rotational movement to securethe pickets to the rail.

As displayed in FIG. 8, a plurality of pickets 44 can be aligned forattachment to upper and lower fence rails 48 to construct a picket fenceof varying length and secured to said rails 48 as described previously.The pickets 44 and the fence rails 48 are comprised of material that islightweight, durable, rigid, and resistant to corrosion and oxidation,such as various wood products, metals and alloys, plastic, vinyl,composite materials, and the like.

A third embodiment of a fastener 52 is illustrated in FIG. 9 as having aconical member 54 with surrounding screw threads, said conical member 54tapering from a narrower end to a wider end with said wider endconnected to a rectangular member 56. The fastener 52 is aligned betweenan end of a picket 44 with cooperating bore 46 and a communicating sideof a fence rail 58. Two types of fasteners 52 are desirably provided, afirst in which the conical member 54 has clockwise-fastening threads,and a second in which the conical member 54 hascounterclockwise-fastening threads.

The picket 44 is attached to upper and lower rails 58 by first insertingthe rectangular member 56 of the fastener 52 into the bore 46 at opposedends of the picket 44 so that the rectangular member 56 frictionallyengages the surrounding sidewalls of the bore 46 and anchors thefastener 52 to the picket 44. The picket 44 with the fastener 52disposed therein is placed adjacent to the rails 58 in perpendicularrelation and rotated while pressing the conical members 54 of thefasteners 52 against the rails 58 until the conical members 54 engagethe rails 58, initially securing the fasteners 52 and picket 44 to saidrails 58. The fasteners 52 are then screwed into the rails 58 until theconical members 54 are completely disposed within the rails 58.Desirably, a clockwise-threaded fastener 52 is attached to one end ofthe picket and a counterclockwise-threaded fastener 52 is attached tothe other, such that rotating the picket 44 in one direction engagesboth of the rails 58 at the same time to secure the picket 44 to therails 58. The conical members 54 of the fasteners 52 can be attached tothe rails 58 with or without a pilot hole formed in said rails 58. Itmay also be desirable under limited circumstances to further secure therectangular member 56 of the fastener 52 to the picket 44 by inserting ascrew 55 through a sidewall of the bore 46 of the picket 44, forexample.

Referring to FIG. 10 a fourth embodiment of the fastener 60 isillustrated. The fastener 60 is comprised of a conical member 62 withsurrounding screw threads. The conical member 62 tapers from a narrowerend to a wider end with said wider end connected to a hexagonal member64. Two types of fasteners 60 are desirably provided, a first in whichthe conical member 62 has clockwise-fastening threads, and a second inwhich the conical member 62 has counterclockwise-fastening threads.

The fasteners 60 are attached to each end the picket 44 by inserting thehexagonal members 64 into the bores 46 at opposed ends of the picket 44until the sidewalls of the hexagonal members 64 engage cooperatingsidewalls of the bores 46, and the conical members extend above the endof the picket 44. Desirably, a clockwise-threaded fastener 60 isattached to one end of the picket and a counterclockwise-threadedfastener 60 is attached to the other. The picket 44 having a fastener 60secured at each end thereof is aligned between upper and lower rails 58so that the conical members 62 of the fasteners 60 engage the rails 58,initially securing the fasteners 60 and picket 44 to said rails 58. Thefasteners 60 are then screwed into the rails 58 by pressing the conicalmembers 62 against the rails 58 and rotating the picket 44 until theconical members 62 are completely disposed within the rails 58. Theconical members 62 of the fasteners 60 can be attached to the rails 58with or without a pilot hole formed in said rails 58.

Alternatively, the conical member 62 of a fastener 60 can be firstinserted into a lower rail 58 until the hexagonal member 64 ispositioned in a way that allows the cooperating bore 46 of the picket 44to thereafter become engaged therewith. Another fastener 60 can then beinserted into an upper rail 58 at a location designed to mate with thelower rail. These steps are repeated to prepare the lower rail having aset of pickets to be joined to the upper rail having a set ofcorresponding fasteners. The lower rail 58 having the attached picketsis then affixed to the upper rail by the fasteners already attachedthereto by slidably engaging the hexagonal members of the affixedfasteners into the cooperating bores of the pickets.

In an alternative embodiment, the fastener 60 can be shaped having ahead 64 having a cross-section of a regular convex n-sided shape such asa pentagon, heptagon, octagon, etc. As described above, the head 64 isinserted into a cooperating opening 46 of the picket 44 and the conicalmember of the fastener 62 is then threadably inserted into a rail 58.

A fifth embodiment of a fastener is illustrated in FIG. 11. As shown inFIG. 11, the fastener 100 includes a solid, or alternatively hollowtubular member 110 having a cylindrical shape. The fastener 100 isdesirably fabricated of a uniform material for ease of fabrication.Exemplary materials include plastics, nylon, polyvinyl chloride, andother deformable materials including but not limited to synthetic rubberand polyurethane. The member 110 includes a first set of ridges 112disposed on an exterior surface of a first portion 111 thereof, for usein frictionally engaging an interior surface of a cylindrical openingprovided in a longitudinal end of a picket or baluster. The maximumdimensions of the ridges of the fastener 100 are preferably selected tobe slightly larger than the internal dimensions of the opening in thepicket, e.g. by an amount on the order of hundredths of an inch alongdiameters 114 of the ridges, such that the ridges frictionally engagethe interior surface of the opening in the picket and stay engageddespite stresses that the assembled rail and picket may encounter later.In such case, the ridges and/or the cylindrical member 112 arefabricated of a material and thickness such that some deformation of theridges and/or the cylindrical member 112 occurs upon inserting thefastener 100 into the opening of the picket.

The fastener 100 is also provided with a second portion 116 having asecond set of ridges 113 used to frictionally engage an interior surfaceof an opening in another member to which the picket is joined, forexample, a rail of a railing. As the opening in the rail to be joined tothe picket may be of a smaller or larger size than the opening in thepicket, either the diameter of the cylindrical member 115, the ridges113, or both may be varied for that portion 116 of the fastener 100 thatis intended to be inserted into the opening of the rail. When the firstportion 111 and the second portion 116 have the same diameter, a stop118 is preferably provided on the exterior surface of the member 110between the first and second portions 111, 116 which is used forstopping the fastener from being inserted too deeply into one or theother of the picket and the rail to which it is being joined. While thefastener 102 is desirably fabricated in one piece and of uniformmaterial throughout, the first and second portions 111, 116 may beconstructed of different materials or different pieces of the same orsimilar materials and then assembled to make the fastener.

A sixth embodiment of a fastener is illustrated in FIG. 12. As shown inFIG. 12, the fastener 102 includes a solid, or alternatively hollowtubular member 120 having a cylindrical shape. The fastener 102 isdesirably fabricated of a uniform material for ease of fabrication.Exemplary materials include plastics, nylon, polyvinyl chloride, andother deformable materials including but not limited to synthetic rubberand polyurethane and nondeformable materials such as metals including,but not limited to aluminum, zinc, galvanized steel and stainless steel.

As distinguished from fastener 100 shown in FIG. 11, fastener 102includes a first set of threads 121 in a first portion 122, and a secondset of threads 123 in a second portion 124 thereof. As in the fastener100 described above, the first portion 122 and second portion 124 mayhave different diameters. In addition, the first and second portions112, 124 may have different types of threads; that is different threadpitch and angle. Preferably, the first and second portions are threadedin opposite directions. For example, the first portion can have threadswhich fasten in a clockwise direction, and the second portion havethreads which fasten in a counterclockwise direction. By being sothreaded, the fastener can be threaded or tightened in correspondingopenings in the picket and the rail at the same time by rotationalmovement in one direction only. Thus, in an example, the fastener 102can be threaded into a rail and thereafter threaded into the picket byrotating the picket onto the fastener. Alternatively, the fastener 102can be threaded into a picket and thereafter threaded into the rail byrotating the picket with the attached fastener into the rail. When thefastener 102 is thus dual threaded, i.e. having both clockwise-fasteningand counterclockwise-fastening threads, threading the fastener into thesecond of the picket or rail will not loosen, but rather only serve tofurther tighten the fastener into rail or picket into which it hasalready been screwed. In between the first portion 122 and the secondportion 124 a stop 126 is preferably placed such that the fastener 102is not inserted too deeply into either the picket or the rail. In suchmanner, the first portion 122 is screwed a desirable depth into thepicket and a second portion 124 is screwed a desirable depth into therail.

While the fastener 102 is desirably fabricated in one piece and ofuniform material throughout, the first and second portions 122, and 124,or other components of fastener 102 may be constructed of differentmaterials or different pieces of the same or similar materials and thenassembled to make the fastener. For example, it may be desirable to forma first portion 122 of the fastener 102 of a deformable material such asplastic, nylon, polyurethane, etc., for insertion of the first portion122 into an opening in a picket of hollow tubular construction, e.g. ofmetal, plastic, polyvinyl chloride or composite material. A secondportion 124 of the fastener 102 may desirably be formed of a differentmaterial such as solid steel, aluminum, galvanized steel, zinc, etc. forproviding a strong, nondeformable surface for screwing the fastener 102into a smaller opening in a rail, for example.

The fastener 102 is preferably provided with an aperture 128 on at leastone end thereof, the aperture preferably being sized and shaped toaccommodate standard-sized tools such as those of rectangularcross-section, e.g. a rectangular nut driver or socket wrench, or thosehaving other cross-sections, e.g. hexagonal drivers, also known as“Allen” wrenches, for example. Alternatively, to facilitate turning ofthe fastener, at least one end of the fastener 102 may be provided witha bolthead 130, which is desirably formed integrally to a surface whichspans the cylindrical member 120. Although the bolthead is shownprotruding from the end of the cylindrical member 120, it can be joinedto a surface that is recessed from the end of the cylindrical member120.

As not all pickets have a cylindrical shape or are otherwise amenable tofastening by cylindrically shaped fasteners, FIGS. 13 and 14 illustratesixth and seventh embodiments of fasteners of the invention which areintended to be applied to the joining of a picket to a rail whenopenings are of different shapes. As shown in the perspective drawing ofFIG. 13A and the top (plan) view thereof in FIG. 13B, a fastener 135 isprovided having a first portion 136 and a second portion 138, each onebeing in the shape of an elliptic conical frustum. Conical frustums havesidewalls 141 that are curved surfaces of revolution about an axis. Aconical frustum is best suited for mating with an opening that also hasa curved surface. As described above relative to FIG. 11, the first andsecond portions of the fastener 135 are desirably provided with sets ofridges 137, 139 for frictionally engaging an interior surface of anopening provided in the rail and/or picket. A stop 140 is alsopreferably provided such that the fastener 135 is not inserted toodeeply into either the rail or the picket.

The seventh embodiment of a fastener 145, illustrated in a perspectiveview in FIG. 14A and in a top (plan) view in FIG. 14B, varies from thesixth embodiment in that the shape of each of the first portion 146 andthe second portion 148 is a pyramidal frustum rather than a conicalfrustum. As such, fastener 145 includes sides 150, 151 that aresubstantially planar, rather than curved as in the fastener 135described above relative to FIGS. 13A-13B. The pyramidal fastener 145 ismore preferably employed where the opening of the picket or rail has atleast some straight sides for which a straight-sided fastener 145provides a better fit. As described above relative to FIGS. 13A-13B, thefirst and second portions of the fastener 145 are desirably providedwith sets of ridges 147, 149 for frictionally engaging an interiorsurface of an opening provided in the rail and/or picket. In theillustrated embodiment, a profile view of the ridges 147, 149 has asubstantially triangular shape. A stop 152 is also preferably providedsuch that the fastener 145 is not inserted too deeply into either therail or the picket.

FIGS. 15, 15A and 15B illustrate variations of an eighth embodiment of afastener 200A, 200B according to the invention. One difference betweenfasteners 200A, 200B and those shown and described above is that thefasteners 200A, 200B are substantially in the shape of a ball. By “ball”is meant those classes of shapes that are convex and generally round inshape and may be made up of one or more curved surfaces and/or includesurfaces which are planar. Thus, as defined herein, “ball” includes butis not limited to the following shapes: sphere (FIGS. 15, 15A and 15B),prolate spheroid (FIG. 16), oblate spheroid (FIG. 17), regular convexpolyhedra where the base polygon is at least a pentagon, i.e. adodecahedron (FIG. 18C), icosahedron (FIG. 18A), and any other shapes,e.g. geodesic domes, that approximate a sphere (such as the shapes shownin FIGS. 18B, and 18D-18F), or approximate the shapes of prolatespheroid or oblate spheroid.

As shown in FIGS. 15, 15A and 15B, the fasteners 200A, 200B are a solid,or alternatively, hollow member having a substantially ball shape. FIG.15 illustrates an isometric view of a spherical fastener 200A, whileFIG. 15A illustrates a cross section view of the fastener 200A in FIG.15 taken along Line 15A-15A. FIG. 15B illustrates a cross section viewof a fastener 200B similar to the fastener 200A in FIG. 15A, but wherethe opening 216B of the fastener 200B has been altered to include acylindrical opening 216B having a countersink. FIGS. 15C and 15Dillustrate alternative embodiments of the fasteners 200A and 200B inFIGS. 15A and 15B, respectively, but are illustrated as fasteners 200Cand 200D manufactured from plastic. For simplicity, the followingdiscussion references only fasteners 200A and 200B, but it is understoodthat the discussion respectively applies to fasteners 200C and 200D,notwithstanding construction materials. Both fasteners 200A, 200Brespectively include a first hemispheroidal portion 212A, 212B (i.e., afirst engaging portion 212A, 212B) for engaging a picket (e.g., picket44), and a second hemispheroidal portion 214A, 214B (i.e., a matingportion 214A, 214B) for engaging a second article, such as a rail 48 towhich the picket 44 is to be attached. For both fasteners 200A, 200B, atop surface 218A, 218B and an opposite bottom surface 220A, 220B aresubstantially flat or truncated, to facilitate ease of placement andassembly onto a facing surface of an item, e.g., a rail 48. Thefasteners 200A, 200B are desirably fabricated as a single piece of auniform material for ease of fabrication. Exemplary materials includenylon, plastic, polyvinyl chloride, and other deformable materialsincluding but not limited to synthetic rubber and polyurethane. Thefasteners 200A, 200B preferably include a first set of ridges 211,respectively, disposed on an exterior surface of the first portion 212A,212B or first engaging portion 212A, 212B thereof, for use infrictionally engaging an interior surface of a cylindrical openingprovided in a longitudinal end of a picket or baluster 44. The maximumdimensions of the ridges of the fasteners 200A, 200B are preferablyselected to be slightly larger than the internal dimensions of theopening in the picket 44, e.g., by an amount on the order of hundredthsof an inch along the diameter of the ridges, such that the ridgesfrictionally engage the interior surface of the opening in the picket 44and stay engaged despite stresses that the assembled rail 48 and picket44 may encounter later. In such case, the fasteners 200A, 200B and/orthe ridges 211 are fabricated of a material and thickness such that somedeformation of the ridges and/or the underlying ball occurs uponinserting the fasteners 200A, 200B into the opening of the picket 44.FIG. 21 illustrates a cross-sectional close-up view of fastener 200Bshown in FIG. 15B employed in a connected assembly.

The fasteners 200A, 200B are also provided with a second portion 214A,214B having a second set of ridges 213 used to frictionally engage aninterior surface of an opening in another member to which the picket isjoined, for example, a rail of a railing. The ridges 213 of the secondset are desirably slanted in the opposite direction from, but directedtowards, the ridges 211 of the first set such that the ridges 213frictionally engage a first opening in one item, e.g. a rail, whileridges 211 frictionally engage an opening in another item, e.g. apicket.

A stop may be provided on the exterior surface of the fasteners 200A,200B between the first portion 212A, 212B and second portion 214A, 214B,for use in stopping the fastener 200A, 200B from being inserted toodeeply into one or the other of the picket and the rail to which it isbeing joined. As illustrated, maximum diameter ridges 222A, 222B maysimply be the ridges 211, 213 of either or both the first and secondportions 212A, 212B, 214A, 214B having the outermost diameters, i.e.,the ridges 211, 213 having the largest diameters when compared to othersof the ridges. As may be clearly seen from FIGS. 15, 15A and 15B, insome embodiments, these outermost ridges 222A, 222B may provide themaximum ridge diameter for either or both portions 212A, 212B, 214A,214B of the fastener 200A, 200B to engage their respective items (e.g.,a picket or a rail). As can be seen in FIGS. 15A and 15B, the first andsecond hemispheroidal portions are symmetrical in construction to oneanother about their plane of opposition (illustrated by the linesseparating the first portions 212A, 212B from the second portions 214A,214B). While the fasteners 200A, 200B are desirably fabricated in onepiece and of uniform material throughout, the first and second portions212A, 212B, 214A, 214B, or other components of fasteners 200A, 200B maybe constructed of different materials or different pieces of the same orsimilar materials and then assembled to make the fastener.

The fastener 200A is preferably provided with an aperture 216A on atleast one end thereof, the aperture 216A being sized and shaped toaccommodate standard-sized tools such as those of rectangularcross-section (opening 216A in FIG. 15A), e.g. a rectangular nut driveror socket wrench, or those having other cross-sections, e.g. hexagonaldrivers, also known as “Allen” wrenches, for example. In such case, theaperture 216A provides a way of applying torque to insert a lowerportion 214A of the fastener 200A into an item such as a rail.

Alternatively, the aperture may be a countersink 216B, such as thecountersink 216B shown in FIG. 15B, for retaining a screw or bolt (e.g.,screw 224 shown in FIG. 21) of length sufficient to pass through thefastener 200B from the side of the aperture 216B to the opposite side,the screw or bolt 224 then threadably engaging another item, e.g. therail 48 thereunder.

Alternatively, to facilitate turning of the fastener, at least one endof the fasteners 200A may be provided with a bolthead (such as thatshown and described above relative to FIG. 12) in the place of aperture216A, the bolthead being desirably formed integrally to a top surface218A of the fastener 200A. In such case, the bolthead provides a way ofapplying torque to insert a lower portion 214A of the fastener 200A intoan item such as a rail.

In a preferred method of assembling a picket 44 to a rail 48 to form anelement of a railing or balustrade, the fastener 200A, 200B is placed,bottom side 220A, 220B down on a rail 48, leaving the top surface 218A,218B exposed. The body of a screw or bolt 224 is threadably insertedinto or, alternatively, passed through the fasteners 200A, 200B tothreadably engage the rail 48 below, while the screwhead, bolthead, ortool-receiving aperture 216A (or countersink 216B) of the fasteners200A, 200B remains accessible from a top surface 218A, 218B to allowtorque to be applied to affix the fastener 200A, 200B to the rail 48.Thereafter, a cooperating opening of the picket 44 is then inserted overthe fasteners 200A, 200B to affix the picket 44 to the rail 48. Thecooperating opening can have a variety of shapes, such as cylindrical,conical, rectangular, hexagonal or other regular polygon, as well as inthe shape of a half-ball or section of a ball, as that term is definedherein.

To continue making a balustrade, the process is then repeated byaffixing fasteners 200A, 200B at desired spacings, and affixing picketsthereto to make an assembly having a rail and a plurality of picketsaffixed thereto. This represents a “lower” rail of the balustrade, forexample. Then, fasteners 200A, 200B are affixed to a second rail atdesired spacings. The balustrade is then completed by mating the picketsthat are affixed to the lower rail to the fasteners 200A, 200B that areaffixed to the second, upper rail.

While in many railings or balustrades the pickets or balusters areoriented at right angles, many occasions arise when pickets must beoriented at other than right angles, e.g. stairways, in which case atleast one of the angles that the baluster makes relative to the rail isacute. The ball-shape of fasteners 200A, 200B makes them well-suited forthis purpose because the angle that each ball-shaped fastener 200A, 220Bmakes relative to the opening in a picket can change while the fastener200A, 200B still continues to frictionally engage the opening.

FIGS. 16, 17 and 18A through 18F illustrate alternative ball shapes towhich fasteners 200 may be constructed in preferred embodiments, bearingin mind, that in each case, a top surface and a bottom surface of theshape are preferably opposing parallel planes, for ease of assembly ofthe rail to picket.

A container 66 for storing and transporting pickets 44 is illustrated inFIG. 19. The container 66 is equipped with a hole measuring guide 68that can be attached to the container 66 by various means, such asperforation, VELCRO®, adhesion, and the like. The hold measuring guide68 is comprised of a first sidewall 70 and a second sidewall 72, saidsidewalls 70, 72 disposed in perpendicular relation to each other. Aplurality of apertures 74 is located in the second sidewall 72 thereof.The apertures 74 are positioned so as to coincide with the proper orintended spacing or positioning of bores within the fence rails 48, 58.As such, the hole measuring guide 68 can be positioned over two adjacentfence rails 48 as shown in FIG. 20 so that apertures or bores can beplaced within said fence rails 48 in precise locations thereon bydrilling, routing or similar processes.

While various embodiments of the disclosed principles have beendescribed above, it should be understood that they have been presentedby way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scopeof the invention(s) should not be limited by any of the above-describedexemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with anyclaims and their equivalents issuing from this disclosure. Furthermore,the above advantages and features are provided in described embodiments,but shall not limit the application of such issued claims to processesand structures accomplishing any or all of the above advantages.

Additionally, the section headings herein are provided for consistencywith the suggestions under 37 CFR 1.77 or otherwise to provideorganizational cues. These headings shall not limit or characterize theinvention(s) set out in any claims that may issue from this disclosure.Specifically and by way of example, although the headings refer to a“Technical Field,” such claims should not be limited by the languagechosen under this heading to describe the so-called technical field.Further, a description of a technology in the “Background” is not to beconstrued as an admission that technology is prior art to anyinvention(s) in this disclosure. Neither is the “Brief Summary” to beconsidered as a characterization of the invention(s) set forth in issuedclaims. Furthermore, any reference in this disclosure to “invention” inthe singular should not be used to argue that there is only a singlepoint of novelty in this disclosure. Multiple inventions may be setforth according to the limitations of the multiple claims issuing fromthis disclosure, and such claims accordingly define the invention(s),and their equivalents, that are protected thereby. In all instances, thescope of such claims shall be considered on their own merits in light ofthis disclosure, but should not be constrained by the headings set forthherein.

1. A plug fastener, comprising: a first hemispheroidal portion; a secondhemispheroidal portion opposed to the first hemispheroidal portion, thefirst and second hemispheroidal portions being symmetrical to oneanother about their plane of opposition, each hemispheroidal portioncomprising: a mating surface truncating the respective hemispheroidalportions, the mating surface defining a mating plane that is parallel tothe plane of opposition whereby the mating planes of the respectivefirst and second hemispheroidal portions are opposite from each otheracross the plane of opposition, and ridges extending outwardly from therespective hemispheroidal portions between the mating surfaces and theplane of opposition, and deformable to frictionally engage an interiorsurface of an opening in an end of a baluster; and an aperture extendingthrough the first and second hemispheroidal portions between openings inthe first and second mating surfaces, wherein the aperture issubstantially perpendicular with respect to the plane of opposition. 2.A plug fastener according to claim 1, wherein the deformable ridges haveresiliency sufficient to frictionally engage an interior surface withinan opening in the baluster such that the baluster is substantially fixedto a railing on which the plug fastener is affixed.
 3. A plug fasteneraccording to claim 1, wherein the aperture comprises a first countersinkdefined within an opening in the first mating surface, and a secondcountersink defined within an opening in the second mating surface.
 4. Aplug fastener according to claim 1, wherein the ridges on the firsthemispheroidal portion are directed towards the ridges on the secondhemispheroidal portion.
 5. A plug fastener according to claim 1, whereina profile view of the ridges has a substantially triangular shape foreach ridge.
 6. A plug fastener according to claim 1, wherein the ridgesoutwardly extending from the exterior surfaces of the hemispheroidalportions define a substantially spherical shape for the plug fastener.7. A plug fastener according to claim 1, wherein the ridges outwardlyextending from the exterior surfaces of the hemispheroidal portionscover substantially all of the exterior surfaces of the hemispheroidalportions.
 8. A plug fastener according to claim 1, wherein the ridgesextend substantially parallel to the plane of opposition.
 9. A plugfastener according to claim 1, wherein the first and secondhemispheroidal portions define a substantially spherical spheroidalshape, truncated by the mating surfaces.
 10. A plug fastener accordingto claim 1, wherein the first and second hemispheroidal portions definea substantially prolate spheroidal shape, truncated by the matingsurfaces.
 11. A plug fastener according to claim 10, wherein the ridgesoutwardly extending from the exterior surfaces of the substantiallyprolate hemispheroidal portions define a substantially sphericalspheroidal shape for the plug fastener.
 12. A plug fastener according toclaim 1, wherein the first and second hemispheroidal portions define asubstantially oblate spheroidal shape, truncated by the mating surfaces.13. A plug fastener, comprising: a first hemispheroidal portion; asecond hemispheroidal portion opposed to the first hemispheroidalportion, the first and second hemispheroidal portions being symmetricalto one another about their plane of opposition, each hemispheroidalportion comprising: a mating surface truncating the respectivehemispheroidal portions, the mating surface defining a mating plane thatis parallel to the plane of opposition whereby the mating planes of therespective first and second hemispheroidal portions are opposite fromeach other across the plane of opposition, and ridges extendingoutwardly from the respective hemispheroidal portions between the matingsurfaces and the plane of opposition, and deformable to frictionallyengage an interior surface of an opening in an end of a baluster,wherein the ridges outwardly extending from the exterior surfaces of thehemispheroidal portions cover substantially all of the exterior surfacesof the hemispheroidal portions and define a substantially sphericalshape for the plug fastener; and an aperture extending through the firstand second hemispheroidal portions and between openings in the first andsecond mating surfaces.
 14. A plug fastener according to claim 13,wherein the aperture comprises a first countersink defined within theopening in the first mating surface, and a second countersink definedwithin the opening in the second mating surface.
 15. A plug fasteneraccording to claim 13, wherein the ridges outwardly extending from theexterior surfaces of the hemispheroidal portions define a substantiallyspherical shape for the plug fastener.
 16. A plug fastener according toclaim 13, wherein the first and second hemispheroidal portions define asubstantially prolate spheroidal shape, a substantially oblatespheroidal shape, or a substantially spherical spheroidal shape,truncated by the mating surfaces.
 17. A plug fastener, comprising: afirst hemispheroidal portion; a second hemispheroidal portion opposed tothe first hemispheroidal portion, the first and second hemispheroidalportions being symmetrical to one another about their plane ofopposition, each hemispheroidal portion comprising: a mating surfacetruncating the respective hemispheroidal portions, the mating surfacedefining a mating plane that is parallel to the plane of oppositionwhereby the mating planes of the respective first and secondhemispheroidal portions are opposite from each other across the plane ofopposition, and ridges extending outwardly from the respectivehemispheroidal portions between the mating surfaces and the plane ofopposition, and deformable to frictionally engage an interior surface ofan opening in an end of a baluster; and an aperture extending throughthe first and second hemispheroidal portions between openings in thefirst and second mating surfaces, the aperture being substantiallyperpendicular with respect to the plane of opposition and comprising afirst countersink defined within the opening in the first mating surfaceand a second countersink defined within the opening in the second matingsurface.
 18. A plug fastener according to claim 17, wherein the ridgesoutwardly extending from the exterior surfaces of the hemispheroidalportions define a substantially spherical shape for the plug fastener.19. A plug fastener according to claim 17, wherein the first and secondhemispheroidal portions define a substantially prolate spheroidal shape,a substantially oblate spheroidal shape, or a substantially sphericalspheroidal shape, truncated by the mating surfaces.
 20. A plug fasteneraccording to claim 17, wherein the ridges on the first hemispheroidalportion extend parallel to the plane of opposition.